


Hades

by stellaver



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, here for the fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 20:17:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12755457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellaver/pseuds/stellaver
Summary: She was passion and excitement and joy. She wasn't used to being fragile.





	Hades

**Author's Note:**

> henlo friends I'm back with more tomstar because I finished season three and I'm losing my MIND

A moment's respite in a world of dark queens and political change.

Flashing lights, pounding music, a crowd that managed to get smaller even when she barely had any elbow room. And Tom.

 _Tom_. How had this happened again? How did she get to a point where one of his snaggle-toothed smirks never failed to make her heart pound?

She shot a glance over her shoulder at him. Ripped jeans and a distressed shirt with too many studs in it. So little has changed about him, yet so much at the same time. He's taller, for one, but he's so much softer now than he used to be. Still short fused, but he was a lot less harsh and, believe it or not, hot-headed. She remembered a boy who could send a monster up in flames without hesitation.

She was so drawn into her own thoughts, she missed someone bumping against her until she was being pushed back. She fell back against him, feeling the warmth of his chest against her back and _god_ how had she forgotten what a heater he was? She felt the slight brush of his fingers against her arms in a silent question.

_You okay?_

She pulled herself up, her cheeks heating up, though she knew that she must have been already beet-red from dancing and the heat of the club.

But it was hot, too hot. She couldn't think, could barely even breathe.

There were too many bodies, too close.

"I need a break," she managed to get out over the music. She didn't wait for any indication that he heard her before she started moving, roughly pushing her way out of the crowd. There were a few stray elbows here and there, but she managed to get out unscathed.

Her heart was pounding and her head was spinning, but she managed to find an unoccupied table in a corner somewhere. It was quiet enough, and it was close to the bathrooms. Definitely the corner people go to when they've had too much to drink.

She didn't even hesitate before collapsing down into the seat, taking deep breaths as she rested her head in her hands.

"Hey, you okay?" Oh, so he had followed her out.

From her angle, she saw his shoes, combat boots she recognized from when they dated. She managed a small nod. "Needed some air," she said simply, running her hands through her bangs and then patting them back down.

When she looked up at him, she saw an inquisitive stare, and a small smile with his single snaggle tooth peeking out. "What happened?" He asked, taking the seat opposite from her. His tone was teasing as he continued, "The Star Butterfly I know would never be caught dead sitting when there's dancing to be done."

She let out a snort. "Maybe I'm not the same Star," she said, grinning.

Despite her smile, there was an element of truth.

After Toffee.

And Marco. Glossaryck. Eclipsa.

She really isn't the same girl she was a year ago, two years ago.

"We're not the same people we used to be," she said pensively, expression falling.

He blinked, once, twice, comprehending her words. And eventually his gaze moved back to the dance floor. "We're not. For me, I like to think that's a good thing," he replied simply. He caught her gaze, and then in one swift, languid motion, he stood up, taking her hand. "C'mon, Starship, let's get out of here. You look like you're partied out."

She looked from his face, all eyes trained on her, to their linked hands, before silently nodding.

There was one thing Star Butterfly was not used to being, and that was fragile.

She's heard many words used to describe her. Rambunctious, obnoxious, weird and wild, a shooting star. She was used to being a ball of energy and passion and excitement. And yet, when she felt his arm around her shoulders, guiding her away from the club and the music and the dancing, she felt fragile. Like she might break at any moment.

She didn't realize it until the two of them reached his carriage that she was crying.

She collapsed onto the couch, her legs barely making it there. She was stuck staring at her hands where they curled against her knees, drops of silent tears dotting the backs of them. She was vaguely aware as the seat shifted with Tom's weight and she could almost feel his hands, hovering, not sure if he should touch her.

"Star, are you okay?" She could hear the worry in his voice. She almost never cried in front of other people. "Did someone hurt you back there? If they did, I'll—"

"No, no one." She cut him off, already seeing the red flare in his eyes. Her hand reached up and brushed at her eyes, still surprised to see it come away wet. She wasn't used to silent tears. She was used to ugly, loud sobbing, not this. "I don't know what's gotten into me."

He was already moving when he started to say, "Here, I'll take you home—"

Again. "No." Her voice was firmer this time. She didn't want to go home, not yet. Not to where she was a princess. Not where a queen of darkness was hidden away and where Marco would be just as worried if not more. Not yet.

Wiping her cheeks, she looked up at him with a smile. "How about your place? It's been a while since I've been there."

His look of concern didn't go away, but he nodded. "Alright. Alright. Cool. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Positive. I think I just got... Overwhelmed, I think?" She made a face, looking for the right word.

"You? Overwhelmed? Can't imagine." He gave her a shaky smile, but it gradually grew surer. He settled a hand on her shoulder carefully, then wrapped it around her when she didn't protest. She curled against his chest, relishing in his comforting warmth. God, it's been so long, but she wasn't sure if it was good because it was cuddles or if it was him or both. Either way, she didn't protest as his other arm wrapped around her and pulled her closer, hands carefully twining themselves in her hair.

They sat like that for a while, in silence and curled up on the plush couch. Tom rested his chin on top her head, exhaling. He carefully played with her hair, and she relished in the steady pounding of his heart in his chest.

Eventually, the carriage came to a stop, now at Lucitor Castle, and the two of them reluctantly pulled apart to head inside.

When had it gotten so late? The Underworld was always in perpetual darkness, but she could tell it was the middle of the night by the heavier darkness than usual and the silence of the halls as they carefully snuck inside. The soft candlelight and the dim braziers made odd shadows on the uneven walls. The halls were all but empty and their steps echoed loudly as they made their way to Tom's room without much incident.

Nothing much had changed here since she was here last year, she could see. Braziers lit the walls, games and consoles and various torture devices lined the room, and clothes littered the floor. Tom was still the same in that regard, she was glad.

She barely hesitated to kick her shoes off and toss her jacket onto a random chair as she quickly made a beeline for the huge canopy bed that dominated one side of the room. She couldn't remember a time where it felt better to collapse into a down comforter than just then.

"And here I thought you liked me for my good looks," she heard him mumble.

"You caught me," her voice was muffled by the blanket. "I'm here for the blanket. The good looks are a plus but this is my true love."

He chuckled, collapsing onto the bed beside her. "At least you agreed on my good looks," he tried.

"Hey, we both know that I know that your good looks are an indisputable fact, like my adorableness and my charming personality," she said indignantly, propping her head up to shoot him a look. She was caught off guard by the tenderness she saw when she locked eyes with him.

"Yeah, that's true, you really are amazing," he replied, reaching out to brush a lock of hair away from her face.

When she didn't pull away, it lingered, fingers hovering and barely brushing her cheek.

In the moments of silence that followed, they simply watched one another, unsure, questioning.

His hand brushed under her chin in one small movement, guiding her face up towards him. Barely a breath passed between them. He was holding himself back, she could tell. Not wanting to mess this up, not wanting to make the first move.

The moment that followed was full of uncertainty. She pushed herself up so her face could meet his.

One single, careful kiss.

She had forgotten what it was like, heart pounding in her ears. It only lasted a few seconds before they pulled apart.

Eyes closed, not ready to break the illusion. And then, the spell on her seemed to break. Heat rushed to her face, but true to her fashion, she didn't shy away.

His expression was a mix of emotions; joy and confusion and worry, but mostly joy. Elation, almost. She stared at him, her eyes impossibly round, before she launched herself at him.

The two of them fell back in a mess of laughter, and it felt so good to be able to laugh like that. Giddy and carefree and without responsibility.

His arms wrapped around her as she cuddled against his chest with a new kind of energy now that her tears and worries had passed. She was a new and old Star, all in one.

"I missed you, Starship," he said, voice bubbling with laughter and joy and other things. His hands moved with a new restless energy that he had been withholding, running up and down her back and carefully twining in her hair and brushing across her cheeks. His eyes looked at her with a special kind of adoration and simple excitement that she had forgotten how much she enjoyed seeing.

"I missed you too," she said simply, breathlessly. And she almost didn't understand how much she had. Not until this moment, when the weight of the world seemed to disappear off her shoulders since she returned the Mewni.


End file.
